You know that Microsoft Word automatically replaces some text as you type, but did you know you can customize the AutoCorrect settings? These tips, adapted from Affinity Consulting Group’s “Microsoft Word for Legal Professionals,” will speed up your document drafting. How Microsoft Word AutoCorrect Works AutoCorrect uses a simple matrix to determine when to replace the characters you type with different text. There are two columns in the matrix. The first is the text that gets replaced when typed (we’ll call this the “Replaced Text”). The second is the text that is inserted in the place of the replaced text (we’ll call this the “Inserted Text”). As soon as Word recognizes that Replaced Text has been typed, it springs into action and swaps the Replaced Text out with the Inserted Text. For example, when you type the closing parenthesis in “(c),” Word replaces it with a “©”. If you frequently need to use a “©” in your document, this can save you the time required to insert the symbol from the ribbon. However, if you more frequently need to type “(c)” for statutory references, this feature can get pretty annoying quickly. Undoing Autocorrections as You Type When Word autocorrects text you’ve typed, you can quickly undo it the moment it happens: Hit the undo button.Use the undo keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + Z).Or hit the backspace key. Note that the backspace key only works if you haven’t typed anything after typing the Replaced Text. Customizing the List of AutoCorrect Entries Customize the AutoCorrect list to minimize the number of autocorrections you need to undo as you type. You can also add custom AutoCorrect entries to make drafting faster. To access the list, go to the File menu and open your Word Options. Click on Proofing on the left-hand side, then click on the AutoCorrect Options… button at the top of the Proofing options. You’ll find the list on

The benefits of living your life and building your practice in the service of others. Being of service is at the heart of a business trend known as servant leadership. It’s a phrase we’re hearing a lot about these days, yet the principles are as old as the ages. The term, however, was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in a 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.” Since then, dozens of books and articles have been painstakingly composed on the topic — explaining, dissecting and advising on what servant leadership is and how to implement it. So, what is servant leadership? Servant leadership is a management style in which you lead by placing the needs of your team first. Given the fear and uncertainty surrounding managing hybrid work and holding onto talent through “the great resignation,” it’s no wonder that law firm owners are rethinking their leadership style. In theory, servant leadership is something most of us may already be incorporating not just in our law practices but in our daily lives. We are leading with the “humble and willing” concept that we are first and foremost the servant. The optimal and expected result of this philosophy is that by interacting with others (in this case, our clients and staff) with a natural inclination to serve, we build trust and garner inevitable respect. Strong Foundation Greenleaf laid out a fairly straightforward concept: “Caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built.” These are profound words and yet most of us have experienced the opposite of what those words encapsulate — namely, the managers who act as bullies, the egocentrics, or the tyrants who enjoy domination over their staff’s daily lives. It’s an artificial sense of power

Let attorneys be attorneys and leave the admin work to those who get paid to get it done. It’s a battle as old as WordPerfect versus Word: Should lawyers type? Since lawyers have keyboarding skills, how many can be assigned to one admin assistant? Two? Three? Five? Imagine all the cost savings … right? Wrong. Instead, imagine all the headaches. All the extra stuff that you, the lawyer, get to do — or worse, pile up because you are too busy to handle it. Am I saying lawyers shouldn’t know how to do administrative work? No. I’m saying you shouldn’t have to do it. The Shrinking Admin Assistant: How Did We Get Here? Long ago, before lawyers began worrying that robots would replace them, tech companies with war chests flush with capital started pitching the many ways “technology” removes the need for assistants. Like assistants were the problem. Here’s the disconnect: Technology requires input — usually keyboarding, but also formatting, calculating, and searching. Whatever the input, it should not be done at the highest cost to the firm — lawyers’ time — or to the detriment of lawyers’ mental health and overall well-being. According to the “2021 State of U.S. Small Law Firms” report from Thomson Reuters, the proportion of lawyers’ time spent practicing law has dropped to a new low of only 56%, barely half of their time. The report, released this week, says that lawyers are increasingly concerned about how managing administrative tasks impacts their ability to practice law. They now rate it as their top concern. This is why, when I hear that a tech “replaces” the need for a human in the process of law firm operations, I call it what it is: BS sales tactics. Three Reasons Admin Staff Are Integral to Your Law Firm’s Operations Here

The Delhi High Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation, issued notice against Google Pay as it had been alleged that its acts amounted to unauthorized access and storage of users Aadhar details. In the PIL, the petitioner alleged that Google Pay, which acts like a united payment interface for all the banks, violates most vulnerable right of individuals’ safeguarded under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Further, the petitioner alleged that the unauthorized access and storage by the application also violated Aadhar Act 2016, Banking Regulations Act 1949, and the Payments and Settlement Systems Act 2007. The petitioner, through his counsel, contended that the payment interface has not been registered or received license under the Payments and Settlement Act, 2007 in order to legally conduct business of payments and transactions. Moreover, information received from Reserve Bank of India stated that Google Pay had not attained the status of a registered bank, financial institution, or co-operative bank under the Act of 1949. It also had been submitted that the business activities of Google Pay had been operating in contravention of banking as well as payment laws. Even in the terms and conditions of the application, the petitioner pointed out that the company mentioned to store the payment instruction details of users. However, the UIDAI did not receive any application from Google Pay to allow it to access, store, or use users Aadhar details. The authority did not even receive any intimation from RBI regarding the permission to access the bank details of users, submitted petitioner. For the aforesaid issue, the Delhi High Court has issued notices and listed the matter for the month of November, 2021. The post Delhi HC issues notice in a plea seeking action against Google Pay’s acts contravening Article 21 appeared first on LexForti Legal

Background Following the Classic Trinity Test, Serum Institute of India successfully defends the trademark “COVISHIELD” for its own Covid-19 vaccine in a passing-off action brought by a Nanded-based patented firm.  The Bombay High Court’s recent decision denouncing Cutis Biotech’s petition to prevent SII from ever using trademark ‘Covishield’; for its vaccine has laid the groundwork for the reduction of vexatious lawsuits. The Hon’ble Court, through discarding Cutis Biotech’s appeal; stated that ‘Covishield’ is a widely known Coronavirus vaccine. The State’s Vaccine Administration Program will be confused and disrupted; if a temporary restraining order directing SII to stop using the mark “Covishield”. In this case, an injunction would have far-reaching consequences that would extend further than the parties to the lawsuit. Procedural History Before the District Judge : Nanded Around December 2020, a Nanded-based patented firm, through its sole proprietor Mrs Archana Ashish Kabra, filed a lawsuit toward Serum Institute of India (herein referred to as SII) and Anr. (one, Mr. Bhandaru Srinivas), desiring an order of injunctive relief prohibiting SII from using the trademarks ‘Covishield’ and/or ‘Covid shield’ for their COVID-19 vaccine. Cutis Biotech asserted that they had adhered to the trademark “Covishield” before SII, and also that their sanitisers and disinfectants had begun to circulate throughout the market under the same title. SII filed an application under Order 7 Rule 11(d) of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908; requesting that the plaint be dismissed on the grounds that the lawsuit was just not maintainable under section 134(2) of the Trademark Act, 1999. Before the Commercial Court: Pune Cutis Biotech submitted a Commercial Suit in the District Court of Pune; together with an appliance for a temporary injunction, while the Nanded suit had been pending adjudication. Contentions: Cutis Biotech It was contended; that they coined the term “Covishield” for pharmaceutical and

Ahlawat & Associates (“A&A”) has recently advised Dev Clever Holding PLC/ Dev Clever, a listed company established in UK, engaged in the business of designing and developing software and technology specialized in the use of lightweight integrations of cloud-based gamification and virtual reality technologies across both the commercial and education sectors (“Acquirer”), on the acquisition of Veative Labs Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore based educational technology company i.e., Veative Labs Pte. Ltd. (“Singapore Holding Company”) involved in the business of delivering educational content through immersive technologies. The transaction was multi-geographical wherein the Acquirer being a listed company in the UK acquiring an Indian wholly-owned subsidiary from its Singapore Holding Company. A&A advised the Acquirer on the above transaction including conducting legal due diligence and closing of the transaction documents. The approximate deal value is INR 500 billion. A&A Team included Mr. Uday S. Ahlawat (Managing Partner), Ms. Kavita Patwardhan (Partner), Ms. Disha Toshniwal (Senior Associate), Mr. Aman Chadha (Senior Associate), Ms. Shramona Sarkar (Associate), Mr. Sarthak Chawla (Associate) and Mr. Garv Sood (Associate).  “This transaction was particularly interesting for us since it involved multiple parties from multiple jurisdictions and the brainstorming involved in structuring and closing the transaction documents. It was a wonderful experience to be leading this transaction.” Kavita Patwardhan, (Partner) Ahlawat & Associates The post Deal Update: A&A advises Dev Clever Holding PLC on the acquisition of Veative Labs Private Limited appeared first on LexForti . Did you miss our previous article… https://www.itcse.org/?p=322 Randy Reidwww.itcse.org

Millions of Americans continue to struggle financially as businesses big and small fight to stay afloat amid repeated pandemic shutdowns and re-openings. Renters, in particular, worry about the possibility of eviction when they don’t have the money to pay rent. A federal nationwide eviction moratorium had been in place since March 2020. Congress issued the first moratorium as part of the CARES Act. The CDC stepped in after the expiration of the CARES Act moratorium to issue its own moratorium, which has been extended numerous times. We’ll discuss the current state of the eviction moratorium and renter protections, Congressional actions, President Biden’s plans to help struggling tenants, and steps you can take to protect your interests as a renter. Need to get rent payments back on track? Set a deadline or a schedule for late payments in a legally binding contract. Get started now Which state and federal eviction moratoriums remain in place? The federal moratorium that ended at midnight on January 1, 2021 was immediately extended to January 31. President Biden had the CDC extend the federal moratorium through March 31 right after his inauguration on January 20. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue bill was passed and signed into law in early March, but the bill did not include an extension of the eviction moratorium. It did, however, provide $30 billion in additional funding for emergency rent relief programs. The CDC extended the nationwide eviction moratorium on May 29, 2021. That extension was through June 30, 2021. The CDC issued another extension, saying this would be its final extension, on June 24, 2021. This last extension ended on July 31, 2021, but due to intense pressure from Congressional Democrats, the CDC issued yet another extension through October 3, 2021 for counties nationwide with substantial and high levels of community

Average individual student loan balances in the United States increased to over $38,000 in 2020 according to Experian, the credit reporting company. This is a tremendous amount of debt that students take on to further their education and improve their career opportunities upon graduation. When the pandemic hit, many recent graduates lost their jobs as a result of the worldwide disruption. This left many borrowers without income to repay their student loans and wondering if there would be any COVID-19 student loan repayment relief available to them.  President Trump introduced loan forbearance in 2020 to provide temporary help. President Biden has extended this protection and has also raised the possibility of more extensive loan forgiveness as an option in these unprecedented times. Here is what you should know about COVID-19 student loan relief. Need a break on your student loan payments? Make a free Hardship Letter to send to your lender. We make it affordable and simple. Get started now re federal student loan payments suspended during the pandemic? The CARES Act, signed into law in March 2020, offered a temporary pause in federal student loan payments due to the pandemic. This pause lasted through September 30, 2020. Further extensions by President Trump left the suspension in place through January 31, 2021. As a result, payments on federal student loans were not required for most of 2020.  When President Biden took office, one of his first actions was extending this pause through September 30, 2021. The pause has now been extended once again through January 31, 2022. This gives former students even more breathing room to focus on their pandemic financial needs for the time being. re payments on private student loans suspended during the pandemic? The laws signed by President Trump and President Biden extend only to federal loan

Serious workplace injuries happen every day across America. No employer wants to see employees injured while doing their jobs. Unfortunately, accidents happen no matter how much you try to avoid them, but if you are prepared, you will know what to do. Understanding workplace injuries, taking preventative measures to avoid them, and developing a plan of action in response to an injury are all “must-dos” for good employers. Need to make a Work Injury Report? Properly record what happened in a simple interview form. We make it affordable and simple. Get started now What are the most common workplace injuries? The most common workplace injuries are some of the most preventable. Careful planning can help workers avoid injuries that can affect them for the rest of their lives. 1. Slips, trips, and falls Falls make up roughly one-third of all injuries in the workplace. They are the number one cause of workers’ compensation cases across the United States. Although a trip or slip may seem minor, they can result in serious head or neck injuries, broken bones, or a lot of other health problems. 2. Working with machinery A machinery accident is not unusual in a factory, construction, or farm setting, but it can happen any place where workers engage with heavy machinery. Getting your body caught in moving equipment can result in long-term debilitation. 3. Vehicle-related accidents Car accidents happen every day. Some are the result of employees spending time on the road for work-related reasons. Other injuries occur when workers are struck by moving vehicles in a work setting, such as in a warehouse or shipping/receiving area. 4. Fires and explosions Fires and explosions do not happen often, but when employees work with combustible materials, those workplace accidents can be severe—affecting multiple workers at one time. Burns and

Last week I served on a panel about attorney burnout for a bar association club for attorneys in their first 10 years of practice. The panelists had lots of helpful guidance and information to share. The last question asked by an attendee, however, perfectly exemplified the real problem with burnout, and the way I answered repeated the same problem pattern. Here’s what I mean. sking the Right Questions About Attorney Burnout The question was about how to handle unreasonable expectations from a supervising attorney. In the example, based on the lawyer’s real-world experience, the partner would promise a deliverable to his client without consulting his team and then delay delegating the task to the more junior attorneys. The partner would then have an unrealistic deadline and freak out because he had promised the client an answer or deliverable by a date that was, by that time, impossible. The associate asked the panel: What should I do? How should I handle it? We provided good techniques for communicating the impossibility of the task to her supervising attorney, and how to talk with others about possibly getting an extension for others’ work without pressing deadlines. We also discussed how she could communicate the specifics of what she would be able to produce in the timeframe provided. This was all useful information, and hopefully, it helped the associate. But thinking about the question later, I realized we had addressed the wrong question. Whose Problem Are We Solving? Sure, we answered the question asked, but really, the question was about how to avoid getting in that situation in the first place. More importantly, the answers should have focused on the fact that the associate should not be the one responsible for solving this problem. There is plenty of advice out there about being proactive